Operational errors are typically difficult to reproduce during testing, production, and/or field maintenance of avionics systems due to a limited availability of data and a difficulty in correlating data to a display event. Known troubleshooting methods such as PEEK or POKE, where specific memory regions and/or memory addresses are provided upon request, require bi-directional communication and special factory diagnostic modes. In avionics systems, PEEK capabilities may be impractical due to interface accessibility, and factory diagnostic modes may be impractical due to control limitations on production aircraft.
Bi-directional communication in avionics systems typically requires customized instrument buses (e.g., specific test equipment with customized wired inputs). The customized instrument buses may include complicated configurations, interfaces, functions, and/or faults. In addition, the instrument buses may be required to conform with select standard protocols (e.g., Ethernet, ARINC 429, ARINC 615A, ARINC 661, or the like). Further, the customized instrument buses may be limited by constraints imposed upon by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and/or component purchasers (e.g., airlines, or the like). Further, the customized instrument buses may require an advanced level of knowledge of relevant systems to configure the connections between customized instrument buses and an aircraft.
These configurations, interfaces, functions, faults, and/or standard protocols must be fully realized and completely defined during development. As such, production of the customized instrument buses may require considerable amounts of time, funds, paperwork, and coordination between involved parties during design, testing, and certification phases.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a system and method that cures the shortcomings described above.